Method of and apparatus for moving reeled material into and retrieving it from the upper end of a well bore in the earth's surface

A method of simultaneously lowering a well string formed of a plurality of end-to-end connected tubular joints into the upper end of a well bore along with a portion of material which extends from reel means and which reeled material has one end connected to the well string comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the well string in the well bore in an initial predetermined position with an upright tubular joint thereof extending above the upper end of the well bore;
• b. supporting the material portion extending between its connection to the well string and the reel means in a predetermined elevated position relative to the well bore upper end to accommodate downward movement thereof;
• c. locking against rotation the reel means which supports the reeled material;
• and
• d. lowering the well string including the upright tubular joint into the well bore to pull into the well a portion of the elevated material and extending between the reel means and the connection thereof with the well string.

A method of simultaneously lowering a well string formed of a plurality of end-to-end connected tubular joints into the upper end of a well bore along with a portion of material which is carried by and extends from reel means with an unreeled end of the reeved material connected to the well string comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the well string in the well bore in initial position with an upright tubular joint thereof extending above the upper end of the well bore;
• b. supporting the material portion extending between its connection with the well string and the reel means in a predetermined elevated position relative to the well bore upper end to accommodate downward movement thereof;
• and
• c. lowering the well string and upright tubular joint into the well bore to pull into the well bore a portion of the material supported in an elevated position.

Apparatus for controlling movement of reeled material into or from a well bore alongside pipe to which the reeled material is connected including:

• a. reel means on which the material is reeved;
• b. movable pulley means supporting the material between said reel means and the well bore;
• c. means to lower said movable pulley means as the material supported thereby is pulled into the well bore alongside the pipe in relation to the rate of movement of pipe into the well bore;
• d. means to raise said movable pulley means as the material supported thereby is removed from the well bore in relation to the rate of movement of pipe out of the well bore;
• and
• e. means to restrain said reel means against rotation as the material and pipe is moved into and removed from the well bore.

Apparatus for moving a well string composed of tubular joints upwardly relative to a well bore in the earth's surface while simultaneously retrieving material connected to the well string from the well bore including:

• a. engaging means engageable with a tubular joint to pull it upwardly relative to the well bore;
• b. support means connected to said engaging means to raise said engaging means relative to the well bore upper end;
• c. reel means for receiving the material retrieved from the well bore;
• d. movable means supporting the material which extends between its connection to the well string and said reel means;
• and
• e. pulley support means connected to said movable pulley means to position said movable pulley means in a lowered postion in relation to the well bore upper end and to accommodate raising of said pulley means and the material supported thereby to a predetermined elevated position relative to said well bore upper end whereby a length of the material is pulled from the well bore when the well string tubular joint is pulled upwardly relative to the well bore upper end without rotating said reel means.

A method of moving reeled material into and out of a well bore alongside a well bore to which the material is connected, comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the material which extends between the well bore and the reel on movable means;
• b. supporting the material which extends between the well bore and the reel on movable means;
• c. lowering the movable means as the material supported thereon is pulled into the well bore alongside the well string in relation to the rate of movement of the wall string into the well bore;
• and
• d. raising the movable means and material supported thereon in relation to the rate of movement of the well string out of the well bore.

A method of controlling movement of material into and out of a well bore comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the material on a reel;
• b. supporting the material which extends between the well bore and the reel on movable means;
• c. restraining against rotation the reel which supports the material as the supported material is moved into and retrieved from the well bore;
• d. lowering the movable means and supported material thereon to move the material into the well bore;
• e. releasing the reel for rotation after the movable means and supported material thereon have been lowered to move the material into the well bore;
• and
• f. raising the movable means and supported material thereon to pull additional material from the reel whereby the additional material may thereafter be lowered into the well bore.

A method of controlling movement of material into and out of a well bore comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the material on a reel;
• b. supporting the reeled material which extends between the well bore and the reel on movable means;
• c. restraining against rotation the reel which supports the material as the supported material is moved into and retrieved from the well bore;
• d. releasing the reel for rotation after the movable means and supported material thereon have been lowered to move the material into the well bore;
• e. raising the movable means and supported material thereon to pull additional material from the reel whereby the additional material may be removed from the well bore;
• and
• f. rotating the reel to reeve thereon the material removed from the well bore.

A method of simultaneously lowering a well bore string into the upper end of a well bore along with material which extends from reel means and which material has one end connected to the well string comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the well string in the well bore in an initial predetermined position;
• b. supporting the material extending between its connection to the well string and the reel means in position relative to the well bore upper end to accommodate downward movement thereof into the well bore;
• c. lowering the well string into the well bore to pull the material into the well bore;
• and
• d. maintaining the reel means which supports the material in nonrotating relation as the well string and material are lowered into the well bore.

A method of simultaneously lowering a well string formed of a plurality of end-to-end connected tubular joints into the upper end of a well bore along with a portion of material which is carried by and extends from the reel means with an unreeled end of the reeved material connected to the well string comprising the steps of:

• a. supporting the well string in the well bore in initial position with an upright tubular joint thereof extending above the upper end of the well bore;
• b. supporting the material portion extending between its connection with the well string and the reel means in a predetermined elevated position relative to the well bore upper end to accommodate downward movement thereof;
• and
• c. lowering the well string and upright tubular joint into the well bore to pull into the well bore alongside the tubular member a portion of the material supported in an elevated position.

Apparatus for controlling movement of reeled material into or from a well bore alongside pipe to which the reeled material is connected including:

• a. reel means on which the material is reeved;
• b. movable pulley means supporting the material between said reel means and the well bore;
• c. means to lower said movable pulley means as the material supported thereby is pulled into the well bore alongside the pipe in relation to the rate of movement of pipe into the well bore;
• d. means to raise said movable pulley means as the material supported thereby is removed from the well bore in relation to the rate of movement of pipe out of the well bore;
• and
• e. means to restrain said reel means against rotation as the material and pipe is moved into and removed from the well bore.